The Hellion’s Waltz by Olivia Waite (2021)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Feminine Pursuits series. I love a good swindle, especially when combined with some vigilante justice. Sophie is rightly skeptical of anyone being swindled, with her family’s recent downfall at the hands of a con-man. However, Maddie and her band of weavers have a plan for getting back at the local draper who has been taking advantage of them for decades. While Sophie is trying to figure out which side she wants to support, she’s definitely falling for Maddie’s seductions in the process. We have a bit of a fast-burn romance here, with Sophie quickly joining the weavers’ side and bringing her own ideas to the chaos. Loved this little village who support each other and I liked seeing how they were all tied to each other.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Duchess Takes it All by Michelle McLean (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novel. This book seemed to drag a bit long for what seems to be a fairly straightforward plot. Widowed duchess Tamsin is secretly a satirical cartoonist trying to keep her identity under wraps, while also gaining entry into society so that her toddler duke son will have an easier time of things when he grows older. Except that her late husband’s cousin Christian is named co-guardian of the child and in charge of running the estates until the child is of age and he’s come to town to take control. They disagree on the methods for raising the boy and she’s trying to keep her occupation as a cartoonist a secret. It’s a lot of push and pull as they argue and banter, and somehow it turns into flirting and an affair. And then to make things more complicated, Christian comes from a country where his marriage prospects are dictated by some archaic and complicated set of laws. Messiness all around.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Devil She Knows by Alexandria Bellefleur (2025)

Paranormal romance. Standalone novel. Samantha is having a rough day after the love of her life Hannah rejects her proposal of marriage and tells her all the reasons why it won’t work. And then Sam comes across a demon named Daphne who is willing to grant Sam six wishes in exchange for her soul. Of course, every wish that Sam makes is in an attempt to win Hannah back. I enjoyed reading all the different scenarios where Hannah is actually kind of terrible and Sam slowly realizing that maybe she shouldn’t be pinning all her dreams on the lady. The romance between Sam and Daphne was a little rushed, even with the instant attraction, and I’m not entirely sure it was true love after only a few days together. Especially when Daphne is an actual demon antagonizing Sam, and Sam being totally in love with Hannah for more than half the book. It was fun to read, even if the romance part was a bit lackluster.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Her Hired Husband by Caroline Lee (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era Scotland. Book 3 of the Surprise Heirs series. All the chaos and humor that I would expect from a Caroline Lee novel. Helena is a whiskey brewer in Scotland who was afraid she wouldn’t be taken seriously by the big burly Scotsmen, so she makes up a fake husband who has been giving directions on how to brew. And now they want to meet the husband. So Helena decides to hire a fake one. Hunter is tasked for the job and he does absolutely wonderfully, with all sorts of respect for Helena’s expertise, and some careful flirting along the way. Except he thinks she’s truly married and he feels all sorts of guilty for being attracted to her. And then things take a dangerous turn when an assassin boards their train and now they’re on the run together and find an inn with two beds and everything. It’s danger and humor and lots of steam.

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

Serving In The Snow by Meg Jones (2025)

Contemporary romance. Part of the Game, Set, and Match series. Supermodel Kit is trying to get away from it all for a bit and ends up at a freezing cold rental cottage in Scotland. Luckily, her next door neighbor Jonah is ready to give her some shelter. It’s fun and flirty and super steamy with this short-lived fling. I loved seeing these two people fall in love in their little wintery bubble. I especially loved how it all tied back to our favorite scandalous tennis player Scottie. Super fun holiday read.

Advance ebook provided by Meg Jones via NetGalley.

A Curse of Shadows and Ice by Catharina Maura (2025)

Fantasy romance. Book 1 of the Shadowbound series. We’ve got some Beauty and the Beast vibes here with a cursed emperor and a princess who is prophesied to break the curse. Felix is the intimidating fellow known around the land as the Shadow Emperor and he’s come to claim Arabella as his wife. With his dastardly reputation, Arabella is naturally afraid of Felix, but she learns pretty quickly about the curse and her role in stopping it. She uses this as a bargaining chip for her freedom, and Felix agrees to the deal. Except he’s all sorts of lonely and it’s clear that he’s falling for Arabella. She’s also falling for him too, but insecure if his feelings are real or if he’s using her to break the curse on his kingdom. Lots of steam here, since Felix is using those feelings of lust to convince Arabella to stay with him. Interesting to learn how magic is wielded in this story and how the curse is ultimately broken.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Hachette Audio.

The Governess and the Rogue by Mimi Matthews (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 6 of the Somerset Stories series. Bea is a governess in a tough position and needs rescuing from Jack on the ship home. And he proposes a fake engagement between them to protect her from dastardly employers and to protect him from fortune-hunting young ladies. Fairly straightforward plot here, with the promise that they’ll fall in love. I enjoyed Jack’s protecting nature and how everything turns to chaos when his family gets involved.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Christmas Fling by Lindsey Kelk (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone romance. Super funny with lots of chaos and a crazy cast of side characters. Laura is about to sublet an apartment from a total stranger who is off to pastry school in Paris, but she ends up walking in on the man totally naked. And then his parents stop by and assume that she’s the girlfriend that he’s been telling them about all year. Callum is basically trying to avoid returning back to his home in Scotland with his overbearing parents and tales of family legacy, so he’s been making up a fake girlfriend named Caroline for the past year. After the parents leave, Laura pitches the idea of traveling with Callum to his home as his fake girlfriend. Lots of mishaps all the way through the book, and so entertaining to read, along with watching Callum and Laura falling in love. Such a great book.

Advance ebook provided by Harper Collins via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Twas the Night After Christmas by Sabrina Jeffries (2012)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Hellions of Halstead Hall series. Pierce has been estranged from his mother for reasons totally unknown (but we discover in this book) and his mother’s companion Camilla has taken it upon herself to write a letter to Pierce saying his mother is ill. It all blows up the moment he arrives at the dower house, but something (or someone) compels him to stay for awhile. As an add-on to the Hellions series, I expected this to be a novella, but it was a full-length story with Pierce and Camilla slowly learning to trust each other, Pierce being a total arse, and finally learning what caused his mother’s estrangement. Solid addition to the series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

An Earl Like You by Anna Bradley (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Games Earls Play series. Quick and straightforward novella. Cass is a recently inherited earl who’s got a scandalous reputation and trying to distance himself from his childhood friend Hattie for her own protection. As Hattie hears about Cass’s exploits, she plans to leave the country and go to London to save her friend from going down a ruinous path. They meet again face to face for the first time in a decade and of course all sorts of sparks fly. Clearly, they’re meant for more than friendship and luckily, we resolve everything fairly quickly.

Advance ebook provided by Oliver Heber Books via NetGalley.

And Then There Was The One by Martha Waters (2025)

Historical mystery romance. 1930s England. Standalone romance. A sleepy little country village has been overrun with a string of mysterious murders, drawing tourists to the town, and a whole lot of suspicion. Georgie is a village native who’s good with plants and solved a handful of the crimes, and now she’s concerned that the latest death isn’t due to natural causes. She writes to some famous detective for help, but his himbo secretary Sebastian comes instead. He’s flirtatious and funny and flusters our dear Georgie. We get to see them get to know each other and solve a crime all at once. Humor and mystery all in one book.

Advance ebook provided by Atria Books via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Princess Knight by Cait Jacobs (2025)

Fantasy romance. Standalone novel. A medieval Legally Blonde retelling with hints of magic and some new creatures we’ve never heard of. Also, super open to all types of romantic pairings and a major nonbinary character as part of the ensemble. Princess Clia has just been rejected by her longtime friend and partner in royal alliances Prince Domhnall, who basically says she’s not warrior queen material. She decides to enroll at the prestigious warrior training program to prove herself. She’s definitely a fish out of water, but she’s determined to work hard. It’s definitely a story with a lot of action and adventure and personal growth for Clia. The romance between her and the prince’s guard Ronan runs throughout the story, but is definitely secondary to the action plot. Lots of intrigue and fighting. A bit of world-building to set things up in the first third of the book, but still an enjoyable read overall.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

Read an introduction to fanfiction

Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction

Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive

Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy

Support this page with a donation

Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.